JOSEPH H. COLEAN, farmer, post office, Pawnee, a son of Francis and Polly (Cox) Colean, the former a native of
Illinois, and born July 15, 1794, and the latter born November 3, 1797, in North Carolina; they were married in Madison county, August 20, 1814, and
were the parents of fourteen children; ten grew to maturity - six sons and four daughters. The father was a corporal to General Harrison, during the War
of 1812, when about eighteen years of age, and was at the battle of Tippecanoe. Joseph H., the subject of this sketch, was born August 31, 1818, in
Madison county, this State, and has always followed farming. On October 3, 1839, he married Maria L. Gillham, and they had nine children; five died in
childhood. Of the four living, three are sons and one daughter; their names are Aaron C., born March 4, 1848; Mead W., born in Jersey county, September 9, 1852;
Maria Louisa, born in Sangamon county, December 12, 1855; Joseph Harrison, born in this county, August 8, 1858; they descended from Spanish and French
ancestors. Mr. C. owns four hundred acres of valuable land, worth $50 an acre; the improvements area a commodious dwelling house, a large barn, and other buildings
in good order. He was educated in the old fashioned log school house where there were puncheon floors and seats, oiled paper used for windows, and the room
heated by a mud and stick fireplace.